Clarifying misinformation regarding nominations to military academies

To my fellow citizens on Rota:

This is to clarify certain misinformation being disseminated among the people, especially the youth, of Rota regarding nominations to the U.S. military academies. Shortly after assuming office as your Resident Representative to the United States, it was my honor to notify all juniors and seniors at all of our high schools on Rota, Tinian, and Saipan about opportunities at the three U.S. military academies. Through the media as well as personal visits to the schools, I told the young men and women that I was looking for students interested in both a first-rate education and the opportunity to serve our country in the military. I informed our students that as the Resident Representative, I had the authority and privilege to nominate students from the CNMI to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

I emphasized to our students that attendance at one of the U.S. military academies was a tremendous opportunity for academic and intellectual growth and leadership skill development. Tuition is free and students earn a modest allowance. Upon graduation, students are commissioned as officers in the armed forces and must serve at least five years.

Since my first year in office, I have issued press releases every Fall announcing which service academy was open for a CNMI nomination, and have also utilized high school counselors to provide information to students about the opportunity. The annual deadline to apply for a nomination from my office is Dec. 15. I have proudly nominated all of our students who have expressed an interest. However, once I make my nominations, my authority ends. All nominations are reviewed by the admissions boards of the respective academies who then select those who will receive appointments.

In order to be considered a candidate, one must: be a U.S. citizen, have good moral character, be at least 17 and not past their 23rd birthday on July 1 of the year they would enter the academy. Candidates must also be unmarried, not pregnant and have no dependents.

As your CNMI Resident Representative, it has been an honor for me to nominate our students to the United States military academies and watch some of our fine young men and women grow into outstanding military leaders. It has been a real joy for me to see Joshua C. Dunn and Ulysses C. Mafnas graduate from the Air Force Academy; and Matthew J. Kirschenheiter, Adrian Anthony Rempillo Evangelista and Caroline Claire Lynch graduate from the Naval Academy.

Unfortunately, I have never received an application for nomination from a student from Rota since I have been in office. It is my fervent hope that our students from Rota will be interested in taking advantage of the enormous educational opportunity available at the United States military academies. I will very much welcome their applications for nomination. I want to assure all our youth in Rota and throughout our lovely and peaceful Commonwealth that I treat every single applicant to the academies with fairness and complete objectivity.